After the recent succession of eye pokes, a lot of people looked to point the finger (which was the problem to begin with) toward officials and gloves as the reason for the injuries. Fans and fighters are calling for better refs, different gloves, or even different rules. The rules are one thing that Dana White likes to agree with on being changed, but it does not mean that the other options should not be explored . . .

Matches To Make Post UFC 156: Main Card Winners

Sunday, February 3rd, 2013

By Benjamin Bieker

Joseph Benavidez vs. Darrell Montague

A lot of people want to see Benavidez challenge for the title again, but he is only one fight removed from his last title shot. Plus, his fight with Demetrious Johnson was not that close despite the split decision loss. There needs to be a bit more time in between fights, and Montague is ranked within or near the top ten on most sites. While he is not signed by the UFC he does need to be in the octagon, and Benavidez would be a great first match.

Demian Maia vs. winner of Condit vs. MacDonald

Maia has all the tools to give anyone at 170 a loss, and that includes GSP. The wrestling, takedowns, and ground control he showed was some of the best in any division. He needs another big fight after that performance, and with neither MacDonald or Condit earning a title shot with a win in their fight it is the perfect matchup. A win over either of them could justify a title shot for Maia, and that is his ultimate goal.

Antonio Silva vs. Cain Velasquez

While Silva was beaten really quick in his first fight with Velasquez there was a lot of factors that could have contributed to that loss. The biggest of them being that it was his first fight in the octagon, and due to Alistair Overeem’s failed drug test he was switched from Roy Nelson to Velasquez with only a few weeks left to train. Plus, is Velasquez not the perfect example of how quick finishes can be erased in a rematch?

Antonio Nogueira vs. Glover Teixeira

While Rashad did not look his best Nogueira still became just the third man to beat him. That is a big win, and he deserves another big fight after this. Teixeira just earned the biggest win of his career against Quinton Jackson, but he still needs a one or two more fights before fighting for the title. Rashad would have fit that bill, but seeing as Nogueira won he should be the next to test Teixeira.

Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis?

Before the post fight press conference I would have said that Ricardo Lamas should have get the next shot at the featherweight title. Well, all it takes is one text and that has completely changed. Anthony Pettis has asked for a shot at Jose Aldo, and that fight while not the most logical has the potential to be amazing. Pettis and Aldo are easily some of the most dynamic strikers in the almost all of MMA. This fight would also give time for Lamas and Chan Sung Jung to duke it out for the next title shot.